‘Winter’s Bone’ is a film based on a novel by Daniel Woodrell and set in the Ozark territory of the United States, a region that covers the southern half  of Missouri and the north west and north central Arkansas. The word ‘Ozark’ also refers to a people with a distinct culture and dialect (thank you, Wikipedia) These ‘Ozark’ people are often disrespectfully referred to as ‘hillbillies’. This film is honest, raw and direct, like the people themselves, I suspect. It’s a crime story, though for anyone previously unacquainted with this part of the U.S, it is more a real educational experience. And a riveting on at that. The story is simple enough: a 17 year old girls has to look after her two younger siblings due to her mother’s illness and her father’s absence. Worse, the family house is at risk because her father has put it up as security for bail… It’s the way she copes with this situation that makes the film one to remember. The scenery, the acting, the atmosphere… All superb. Directed by Debra Glink and starring  Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Kevin Breznaha and other actors you’ve never heard of. You must see this.